


Replace the Chains with Pearls

by Lollipopgang71



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Children, Comedy, Divorce, Drama, Fate & Destiny, Marriage, Multi, OC's - Freeform, Polyamory, Sacrifices, Young Love, single dad, single mom
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-07
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-10-05 23:01:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17334035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lollipopgang71/pseuds/Lollipopgang71
Summary: Love is a funny thing when your young, you are told from the beginning that it's kind, doesn't boast, the works.Not many forewarn you about the amount of hardships one could face when young and in love. Or how cruel fate and her son, Twist, can be.Three souls try to find their way to happiness, hoping it lies in the other.





	1. They say everything is temporary

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya :)  
> Welcome to my new story! If at all wondering where this takes place, I chose Seattle because I'm a Grey's whore lmao.  
> I own nothing other than extreme love for the Sannin, enjoy~

Everything happens for a reason.

Orochimaru remembered his mother telling him that regularly, he would use it as a guide all the time, helping him not over react. A light through the fog to reassure him that in the end…things would eventually make sense, eventually work out; a philosophy that held him down all throughout his life. Yet here he stood, holding his infant son Haru in his arms in the middle of his living room desperately grasping for the same peace in his mother's philosophy. He bounced his son gently, keeping an ear out for Haru's twin sister, Kaana should she wake up.

"Please say something Oro." Tsunade asked in a worried tone.

They had been married for a total of two years, they were childhood sweethearts, each other's first in everything. Before they are husband and wife, they are best friends, no holds barred, no secrets, tell everything like it was; that was their foundation. It was a glorious system, open communication, yet he found himself wishing there were a few things he wished she would have not brought to the table. Despite many people's efforts, they decided when they were 18 they would get married by the age of 22.

They mapped out their future, where they would live, how long they'd stay in a certain area after they graduated…everything. Orochimaru graduated ahead of his wife despite his best efforts to keep adding classes on, she was in med school getting her doctorate in Medicine. He went for something similar a PHD in Science, all of his extra courses in high school assured him a faster road to his dream job…with Tsunade there was still more hoops she had to go through.

She was to be a surgeon, which had been her dream since childhood. Understandably so, she would need more time and education 4 years of undergraduate school, 4 years of med school and 4 years of surgical residency followed up with 1-2 years of fellowship in her desired field.  With the knowledge of the grueling amount of work ahead of them as a couple and Tsunade individually, it was quite the surprise when they found out the third year of Tsunade being in medical school, they became pregnant.

Orochimaru was halfway through his fourth year towards his PHD, when they were given the news. He had to consol his wife for at the beginning she saw the pregnancy as a setback. Orochimaru was beyond thrilled for the chance to be a father but seeing as Tsunade viewed it, he couldn't help but feel guilty. It wasn't until after her first trimester that she began to warm up to the thought of being a mom, as Orochimaru had told her 'He's unplanned, not unwanted'. She knew the child couldn't help when or who he was born too.

When they went in for their first glimpse of their son (Tsunade was insisted it was a boy), another bomb was dropped on the cooping mother. Not only was this an unplanned, ill timed pregnancy, but now there was a second child added to the mix, Orochimaru wanted to feel bad so he could relate and console his best friend, but he was enraptured by the two little blobs on the screen; a sign of his and Tsunade's love.

Clever man as he was, Orochimaru told Tsunade to try and look at it as an experience she could now relate too in the future with her patients should she choose OBGYN, that all through gestation she knew more than any mother would ever dream of knowing; it worked. She monitored the two religiously and even a few times tried to conduct her own sonograms. Just when her raven haired husband was beginning to worry that she was looking at her children as an experiment rather than her offspring, the first kick happened. Feeling the flutters and the not so gentle kicks in addition, opened up her eyes in a new light, these were her children. She had been blessed to be a portal of life into this world to not one, but two beings. She had done a complete 180 from receiving the news, to the day she gave birth.

The birth was a few weeks before her finals setting up the delivery room pictures of the birth process her reading medical textbooks and studying, many of them with her nose in a book. Until his last breath Orochimaru will not understand why she chose to go natural without an epidural, no matter how many times she would explain the risks to him, his poor hand would never understand. Three broken fingers later, they welcomed their twins into the world.

Kaana was born first, she had her father's hair color with her mother's eyes, then Haru was born three minutes later sporting white-blue like hair with his father's eye color. Tsunade pouted that neither of them came out with her blonde, deeming it unfair that she carried them for 9 months and they decided to take after their father more than her. Orochimaru had chosen their names carefully, Haru which in his clan meant 'Timeless Treasure' because he was known of first, and despite the timing, he was treasure to his father. He had chosen Kaana for two reasons, her cry wasn't much of a cry, rather resembled a whistle than a blood curdling scream; and the name in his clan could be interpreted as 'pleasant sound' or 'strong calm', out of the two she was the more quite.

Orochimaru had missed his own graduation ceremony due to Tsunade's water breaking, though out of the two, he deemed the birth of his children much more important than a mere ceremony. He had been accepted at the same University he had graduated from to take up a physicist position until he wanted something else, giving them comfort economically. 

Months had passed, he melded into his work and was even able to have the twins with him at his job on the days that Tsunade had class. March rolled around marking the near end of med school, they were doing great, wonderful even. Haru had said 'da' first while Kaana chose 'ow' and both followed with 'mum' not too long afterwards. Their life was beautiful.

Which is why Orochimaru couldn't understand the situation they currently were in.

"Where is it again?" he asked trying to wrap his mind around it.

"Boston. I got chosen by Mass Gen's surgical program, they're the top in the country…" she trailed off.

"What does this mean if you take it?" he asked cautiously not wanting to start an argument, just trying to understand where they stood.

"Well…I would be away for possibly 11 months out of the year, with a one month off in between years of residency." She was looking at Orochimaru for answers, for him to come up with a solution as he always did.

"They can't handle that." He said suddenly, her eyes snapped up and looked at him in question.

"Children need structure, they need dependency…where we currently stand, we can't offer that to them…" he looked saddened as he looked down at Haru.

"Oro…what are you…?" she couldn't ask, she was too afraid of his answer.

"I will look into openings at the colleges around Mass Gen, though they are always full, entrance applications are over at this time of the year…Tsunade, I can provide for us economically here…but I don't want you to miss out on this opportunity. Surgery is all you've wanted since we were children, you even practiced on me when I had to get stitches from sparring." He trailed, walking over and taking his wife's hand.

"Go. We will be fine." He squeezed it for extra measure, melting on the inside at her relieved expression. "I know this isn't easy for you to have to choose between your family and your career…we'll support you the best we can."

Tear stained checks twisted into a grateful sob, leaning over to hug the love of her life, ever careful of her son. She cried into his shoulder, knowing the strain she was putting on them. Knowing there was nothing in this world Orochimaru wouldn't do for her.

Knowing their children would hardly see their mother.

"We will be fine. It'll work out…" the whisper into the top of her head helped ground her and her feelings.

There was a tension in the air that both choose to ignore, knowing what outcome was to be inevitable. They were human after all.


	2. An empty castle in the sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Readjusting and juggling can get the better of us all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my, I wasn't expecting to get any reactions to this story, but I'm so glad I was wrong ♥  
> Thank you for your kind words, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 2

 

_(Five weeks later – April)_

 Tension and confusion filled the air as the loudest thing in the room was the clock on the wall.

"I'm unsure what you are asking of me Orochimaru." His partner at work questioned him with a perplexed look. A solid four ticks later, the younger man cracked.

"I am asking you to please take one for the night, or come over and help…my pride is breaking here 'Kuzu…" white fingers began to massage their owner's temples. "I'm dying inside as I ask this, but I've hardly slept in a month." Yellow eyes pleaded and damn near bore into emerald.

Kakuzu should not feel this uncomfortable at this moment. He should not have such a hard time saying no, he has no problem telling no to other people. But this time, as he looked into dilated pupils that were screaming 'help', something cracked. He would never admit it aloud, but Orochimaru was his favorite coworker. He was a hard worker both clocked in and outside of the building being a dad to twins, but the two of them often had breakthroughs together. Breakthroughs meant recognition. Recognition meant bigger checks. Orochimaru was a money horse for them. If there was something more to it, such as that rare word kindness, spurring him to his answer, he'd take it to the grave with him.

"…fine…but I'm not that great with kids….and yours are so… _small_." Orochimaru was shaking his head vigorously to the point black hair was bouncing from side to side with the gesture.

"They are indestructible. Kaana has tried to take a flying roll off of the couch already…yeah I haven't told Tsunade about that yet." He looked down guiltily into his microscope.

"Has she been in touch at least?" Kakuzu asked slightly disapprovingly causing Orochimaru's brow to arch in interest.

"As often as she can honestly. She's placed in observation for cardiac tonight which will be anywhere from 6 to 8 hours; tomorrow she's able to assist in Neuro which can up to 13 hours…she doesn't need to know I'm having trouble putting our hellions to sleep." He admitted not looking up from his samples while taking notes.

Had he, he would have witnessed something that doesn't happen often, Kakuzu wearing a look of sympathy. He caught what his face was doing, coughed into his large hand and grumbled under his breath about sentiments.

"You don't plan on telling her anything that goes wrong do you?" he asked knowingly.

"Nope." The response was so quick it caused bloodshot emerald eyes to roll.

"…I'll see if Kisame can…you know…help in shifts…" he said quietly as he went back to taking pictures of the splices that Orochimaru was sliding over his way after he was done analyzing.

Orochimaru looked up in shock at his partner and now...friend? Kakuzu was suggesting that not only was he going to help him just tonight, but thinking up a team to help out for longer than day…was he suggesting permanently?

"Though when they start school, I'm assuming you are going to be separating them? Statistics have shown when twins attend the same school they have a 75% chance of being more anti social and becoming menace's to society? There's a good all boys prep school a few minutes from work here, bring Haru here, and well we both start later than you…" he trailed off averting his eyes back down to the logistics of their current project.

Orochimaru couldn't help the emotion in his voice. "You did research for my kids?" his voice broke "You looked up prep schools for my children?" Kakuzu refused to meet his eyes, choosing to focus on paperwork. Tears may or may not have begun to well up in the serpentine gaze. He reached over and gripped the much taller man's shoulder, a show of appreciation as he slightly shook the other's shoulder. "You'd take my kids to school?" he asked in his somewhat emotional state.

Maybe it was the dark rings around his eyes, the way his hair hadn't been laying as it normal did, the fact he came in with drool marks on his dress shirt, or his lab coat has the remains of throw up on it. It could have been that he saw himself in the young scientist, or his best partner to this day other than Kisame, but they had been ordered to be separated due do too many explosions between the two of them.

"Yeah, yeah…" he grumbled under his breath.

There may have been a hug in the makings had there not been a knock at the door of their lab. One of the daycare workers stepped in with a slightly worried look. Orochimaru's heart dropped immediately.

"I'm sorry but, Haru, he's fine, he is just not having anyone at the moment…he keeps asking for you…if you could just come calm him down? It would help as we're trying to get the toddlers down for a nap and—"

"I'll be right there." He understood, Haru was attached to him like glue since Tsunade left for her residency.

"Go attend your Nazgul, I'll finish up this set before lunch." Kakuzu pushed him in the direction of the door.

\---

"Wait, so you mean we're going to help him since he's basically a single dad?" Kisame asked as he was juggling between slightly swaying Kaana and eating his sandwich.

"I'm not single! I just have a wife that is very driven!" the sharp snap startled almost everyone at the table except for Kakuzu.

"I saw that coming since this morning. How much have you been actually eating?" he asked quizzically.

"I had eggs..." came the indignant replay as he was bouncing Haru on his leg. 

"What _day_ did you have eggs?"

"Today, Thursday." Orochimaru scoffed.

"IT'S FRIDAY." The table scolded in unison.

"What? No, today can't be Friday, I've been labeling everything Thursday the 17th…" he pulled out his phone and checked. When his phone confirmed that everyone except him was right he groaned and pitifully laid his head on the table. Haru reached over and it appeared he tried to give his father a comforting pat, ended up becoming a game of how many times he had to smack his dad to look back up.

"Well, I have to go edit all of the reports." Kakuzu said getting up and taking his food with him. Normally such a trivial mistake would send the fellow scientist into a near murderous rage, but this was understandable.  Kisame was nodding.

"Yeah, we're definitely tapping in…you are almost on deaths door dude." He looked down at Kaana who was trying so desperately to wriggle out of his hold to crawl everywhere.

"I'm so pitiful. I can't even handle taking care of my children." Orochimaru muffled into the table. He felt a quick much bigger smack on the back of his head making it snap up and look accusingly at the source. He blinked at Kisame. "You…hit me."

"And I will again if you say such nonsense." He said indignantly. "Taking care of one child by yourself is hard, you're juggling two…your mistakes are justified." The silence of understanding was cut short by Kaana sighting something she had an affinity for.

"Pizza?" the young voice asked in near excitement.

"Child can barely talk, won't say mom for Tsunade, but can say pizza no problem." Orochimaru ran a tired hand down his face.

"Hey, me and Kuzu will be at your house tonight for the weekend, so glad we only work Monday through Friday. Here's your little worm, I have to go clock in. Take it easy, until we get there alright?" he handed over the ever squirmy Kaana. "Don't worry, Tsunade doesn't have to know." He winked at his friend as he gathered his belongings. "See ya." He waved over his shoulder.

Holding a child in each arm, never had Orochimaru been so grateful for another human being than he was for the two who just left him. They were always seen as unapproachable, but then again, so was he. He was so incredibly thankful and tired, his emotions almost made him show how appreciative he truly was.

He had back up.

\--- 

After their shift was done the two elder scientists looked on in amusement as with clockwork, Orochimaru wrangled his long locks up into a bun that quickly turned messy from his layers. When he felt their eyes on him he turned and gave an impish look.

"They're in that pulling stage at the moment." He admitted. Kisame nodded in understanding subconsciously rubbing his head in sympathy. Kakuzu however was unfazed.

"Why?" he asked bluntly. Orochimaru looked at him curiously in return.

"Because their babies, that's what they do, they pull things…"

"Have you pulled their hair back in return?" Golden eyes widened in horror.

"Heavens no!"

"Well why the hell not?  Children learn best from cause and effect. You pull my hair, yours gets pulled, they stop. End of it." He explained casually as if he was talking about the weather.

"You mean to tell me, that if his kid pulls your hair, you're going to pull theirs in return?"  Kisame asked cautiously.

"Damn straight. The best way they learn is through feeling, either that or a smack on the hand." Orochimaru looked at the taller man as if he was an ogre, clutching his daughter closer towards his chest in slight horror.

"I don't know if I want your help so much…" he said under his breath.

"Let me guess, you two decided to try and do the 'gentle' method?" Emerald eyes asked accusingly.

"Well we did say we wanted to give it a go, we just-" Orochimaru withheld the continuance when a pained look crossed over Kakuzu's face. He scrunched his nose up while applying pressure to the bridge of his nose. Which was a telltale sign of him attempting to control either his temper or opinion.

"We'll try it your way though, they are your kids, just keep an open mind, you’re a scientist as well, process of elimination." Orochimaru looked pensive as he considered Kakuzu's words.

"They're just so small, and vulnerable…they look to me to meet their needs, what if they don't understand why they're being punished…"

"You didn't really have parent's around you much did you kid?"

"Kakuzu!" Kisame scolded, normally Orochimaru would have taken offense to that question, but this was his most blunt friend after all. He shook his head in response.

"I grew up in a Russian household, it would be by the grace of the mother if I didn't know what I was being punished for…I'm not saying break their arms or abuse them." He mumbled. "I'm just saying pick and choose your battles. Don't think of them as your 'babies' or 'children' or whatever, realize that you're in charge of shaping their personality…you know, small adults." Kisame's eyes lit up.

"I didn't know you knew so much about kids Kuzu!" he teased his old friend who just rolled his eyes and huffed away to the car leaving both of them in shock.

"The most…ornery person in the building…is loaded with wisdom on child care?!" Orochimaru finally admitted out loud. Kisame shook his head.

"He's like that about everything…when you least expect it. I think though he may have had someone in the past though…he's very closed off." Kisame reassured as they walked towards the car.

This was going to be an interesting dynamic indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for making it to the end of this one as well. Let me know your thoughts, what you'd be interested to see, is it going the way you expected? 
> 
> Take care :*


End file.
